The invention relates generally to mobile wireless devices and, more particularly, to a system and methods for extending the battery life in a network capable mobile device. As used herein, the term “network” refers to those networks designed to use any one of the family of IEEE standards for wireless local area networks that extend the 802.3 (wired Ethernet) standard into the wireless domain.
The use of wireless mobile devices as a means for communicating via the Internet and local intranets is becoming ubiquitous. The popularity of such devices has increased in part because they may be used whenever and wherever one chooses, as long as there is a wireless access point with which to make the connection. Even in the absence of manifest or purposeful “use” by the user, a mobile device connected to a wireless network periodically communicates with it's local access point. This communication requires the periodic transmission of high power radio signals which, in turn, imposes a significant energy drain on the mobile device's battery. Such background activity leads to shortened battery life.
In view of the above, there is a need to provide an effective system and method(s) to address the battery drain phenomenon which, at the same time, does not significantly detract from the user's experience of using the mobile device.